Inaugural Indy Beer Bash Closes Out Summer Festival Season with Great Beer, Awesome Giveaways

18 Aug Inaugural Indy Beer Bash Closes Out Summer Festival Season with Great Beer, Awesome Giveaways

By Kristina Traxler

The summer/fall transition is a bittersweet time for Indiana craft beer. It’s the moment when the excitement of shandys and sours begins to fade as the pumpkin ales and Oktoberfest brews ferment.  I chose to spend this last Saturday enjoying one of Indianapolis’s new craft beer fests, Indy Beer Bash.

Provided by Beer Bash Entertainment, the goal of the day was for local Hoosiers to simply appreciate local beer, local businesses, great music and great company. The event was especially unique with all the subtle perks they offered throughout the day: 5 oz tasting glasses, raffles for Colts tickets, a plethora of food trucks, and as much beer as you wanted. Although these perks have nothing to do with beer, they did significantly contribute to the quality of the afternoon. It was nice to see an event giving back to the participants and vendors just for attending.

Seeing that it was about a 75% chance of rain for the day, I ventured out the door with my trusty $4 Walmart poncho. I wasn’t about to let Mother Nature get in my way of 4 hours of tastings. Georgia Street was FULL compared to what my expectations were given the inclement weather situation. That being said, I was happy to find the beer lines short and the draft lines constantly flowing.

Normally I don’t bother trying to document my tastings via Untappd as I don’t like to spend majority of my time staring at my phone. However, having VIP tickets (which is an anomaly for me), I had some extra time to spare between sips.  Looking back now, I’m so glad I did since I now have a better record of everything I loved.

I tried to venture to places I don’t normally get to sample on the daily. The first being 450 North, the hidden gem located among the Indiana corn fields of Columbus. I tasted their Legendberry, a slightly tart berry cider that was unique for this festival. I then ventured to Carson’s Brewing, which is an Evansville hot spot that is on my road trip bucket list. The Harlot was a smooth honey blonde that I could’ve had pours on pours. Tin Man, another Evansville wonder, had their Grapefruit Gose which I had been stalking on beer media for weeks. This set a new bar for beautiful tarty blends, which means I will continue to stalk it so that I can get my hands on it again.

Some of the local flagships that I was happy to see were the Upside Down Blonde from Flat 12, Weizengoot from Bier Brewery, and Exemption by Taxman Brewing. Even though I have regular access to these places, the draft and the company can make all the difference.

The beer and several other event perks made up for the half-way decent weather. Although it wasn’t a typical summer sunshine day, the Indy Beer Bash was a great afternoon that helped close out the summer festival season in style. If the event returns next year (and I hope it does), you’ll find me there. If you’re reading this, you should join me.